Decomposition hindered cause of death determination

Published: Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 06:12 PM.

RALEIGH — There were questions in search of an answer that doesn’t exist — at least, not on official records.

Only Grant Hayes and his wife Amanda, both charged with the murder of former Kinston resident Laura Ackerson, know exactly how Ackerson died. They both say they collaborated to dispose of her body, but say the other person killed her in July 2011.

Last week, as prosecutors and defense counsel questioned Dr. Nobby Mambo — the deputy chief medical examiner for Galveston County, Texas — testimony revealed what Mambo’s autopsy of Ackerson stated, which was she was murdered by an unknown method.

Before Mambo took the stand, Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens looked over autopsy photos prosecutors intended to show the jury. Because of their graphic nature, he ruled the images would have to be presented “the old-fashioned way” — displaying the printed photos with Mambo pointing to relevant details.

Also, though Stephens said “the probative value of all of them outweigh the prejudicial effect (on the jury),” he limited prosecutors to only showing 12 images to jurors, eliminating redundancy of showing the same body parts twice, and to lower the general shock value.

Mambo said he was given the recovered body parts in a black plastic bag, and his first examination was of the first parts recovered — the upper and lower portions of Ackerson’s torso and the lower part of one of her legs.

“It was moderately decomposed,” Mambo said. “The skin could still be seen, as well as muscle.”

RALEIGH — There were questions in search of an answer that doesn’t exist — at least, not on official records.

Only Grant Hayes and his wife Amanda, both charged with the murder of former Kinston resident Laura Ackerson, know exactly how Ackerson died. They both say they collaborated to dispose of her body, but say the other person killed her in July 2011.

Last week, as prosecutors and defense counsel questioned Dr. Nobby Mambo — the deputy chief medical examiner for Galveston County, Texas — testimony revealed what Mambo’s autopsy of Ackerson stated, which was she was murdered by an unknown method.

Before Mambo took the stand, Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens looked over autopsy photos prosecutors intended to show the jury. Because of their graphic nature, he ruled the images would have to be presented “the old-fashioned way” — displaying the printed photos with Mambo pointing to relevant details.

Also, though Stephens said “the probative value of all of them outweigh the prejudicial effect (on the jury),” he limited prosecutors to only showing 12 images to jurors, eliminating redundancy of showing the same body parts twice, and to lower the general shock value.

Mambo said he was given the recovered body parts in a black plastic bag, and his first examination was of the first parts recovered — the upper and lower portions of Ackerson’s torso and the lower part of one of her legs.

“It was moderately decomposed,” Mambo said. “The skin could still be seen, as well as muscle.”

Initially, he thought the leg portion belonged to Ackerson’s left leg. The top cut was below the knee and there were no visible amputation effects where it connected to her foot. Mambo said crabs and fish likely ate the tendons and connective tissue. Further investigation showed it was the lower right leg.

When detectives found and retrieved Ackerson’s head, Mambo said it was in a state of significant decomposition. Her skin hung loosely from her skull, he said, and her brain was in the process of liquefying and leaking out her nose, mouth and ears.

However, he said he found a place on Ackerson’s scalp where blood collected under the skin, indicative of a possible injury, though there wasn’t evidence inside her skull to further bear that out, and there weren’t any skull fractures. Mambo said the incident had to have occurred while the body was still intact, but could have been before or after she died.

Asked about a possible choking, Mambo testified a conclusive answer wasn’t possible because muscles that would have shown damage were no longer there.

Responding to a question from defense attorney Jeff Cutler, Mambo said he and others X-rayed Ackerson’s remains to find possible bullet slugs, other metal objects or fracturing, but found nothing.

Earlier in the day, Houston maxillofacial surgeon and forensic dentist Dr. Paul Stimson testified as to Ackerson’s dental records. He said damage to her teeth revealed signs consistent with exposure to muriatic acid. Testimony earlier in the week revealed surveillance video of Amanda Hayes disposing of muriatic acid bottles near her sister’s residence in Texas.

Testimony resumes Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Wake County Justice Center. Stephens told the jury it’s his hope the trial wraps up and jurors reach a verdict before the week is out.

Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.